Unidentified Objects

Chapter 1

Unidentified Objects

Chapter One

Alex slammed the door to her bedroom so hard the pictures on the wall jumped. She flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. What was wrong with people today, anyway?

She had gotten up on time, but the bus had come early, and she had missed it. Since her mother had to leave for work early that day, there wasn't anyone to drive her to school, so she had to walk. All the way to school, she had heard her grandmother's voice inside her head, telling her how lucky she was to have a bus pick her up for the half mile ride to school.

Alex had made it to school, and things had gone from bad to worse. She had been ten minutes late, and had had to report to the office for an unexcused tardy. Then her home room teacher had been all over her when she had walked in during the lesson. What was it about 8th grade that was so hard, anyway? The rest of the day hadn't been bad, and she had made it home in one piece, but Fridays were supposed to be better than that, weren't they?

It wasn't as if Alex didn't know the stuff. She was a straight A student. Well, mostly anyway. There was that pesky C that kept popping up in Social Studies for some reason. And Social Studies was her home room class.

'Alexandra O'Malley!'

Alex's head snapped up. Her mother stood in the doorway.

'Alex, I've been calling you for five minutes. Your brother is putting dinner on the table. Come eat.'

Oh, great. Alex had forgotten it was Peter's turn to cook tonight. Her brother watched like every cooking show on television, and had designs on being the next Iron Chef. Alex couldn't wait for him to go to culinary school in September. Every time it was Peter's turn to cook, he served up something unidentifiable to any 13 year old alive. At least when it was Xavier's turn, he was predictable: mac and cheese with hot dogs cut up inside.

There was nothing else to do but go sit through another meal where she pretended to eat. Hopefully, Peter had fixed something the cat would at least like.

She walked slowly towards the kitchen. No sense rushing the inevitable.

Alex didn't make it to the kitchen. She got as far at the dining room and saw all the good plates Mom usually saved for the holiday, and the good silver all polished up, set out like they were in some fancy restaurant. This could not be good.

Mom and Xavier were already sitting at the table. Alex took her seat next to her ten year old brother. She leaned over and whispered to him, 'What's for supper?'

Xavier didn't even try to whisper. 'I don't know, but it can't be good. Only food I've smelled cooking since I got home was rice.'

Alex looked around the table. This was odd. No serving pieces, no hot pads on the table to protect it from casserole dishes. No, this did not look good at all.

Through all this, their mother, Bobbi, sat with a serene smile on her face. Alex found that expression sort of creepy, like Mom knew something they didn't. Then again, Mom looked like that most nights she didn't have to cook. The expression just seemed creepier when it was Peter's turn in the kitchen.

At long last, Peter made his appearance. He was holding a platter covered with a napkin. He placed the platter carefully before his mother. Then, with a flourish, he whipped off the cover.

'Hey, cool Pete. You made Nemo!'.

Peter laughed. 'Thanks, Xavier. You mind eating him?'

Alex just stared at the plate. Peter had made something that looked like sheets of black paper wrapped around rice with something else in the center. The something was green and white and orangey-red. The rolls were arranged in the shape of the cartoon fish.